Quick-make and quick-break electric switch



June 15 ,1926. I v 1,588,858

R. D. SMITH QUICK MAKE AND QUICK BREAK ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed Feb. 25,v1921/9 2 SheetsShe et 1 \vwuwm mxmmwsmm June 15 1926.

,R. D. SMITH QUICK MAKE AND QUICK BREAK ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed Feb. 25.1921 2 SheetsShe et 2 Patented June 15, 1926. i i

'UNITED STATES- FATENT OFFEQE.

RAYMOND D. SMITH, OF SOARSDALE. NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR, .BY MESNE ASSIGN-MENTS, TO TREMONT PRODUCTS CORIPOBATION, 011" BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ACORPORATION OF'MASSACHUSETTS. i

QUICK-MAKE AND QUICK-BREAK ELECTBIEC SWITCH.

Application filed February 25, 1921. Serial No. 447,662.

A principal object of this invention is to application hereinbefo-rereferredto, and to provide a novel form of switch mechanism whichthepresent improvement in electric for causing a snap action both in the0105- switch mechanism is especially suited, but he ing and openingmovements of two elecnot limited. Fig. 2 is an inverted plan b triccontacts and which shall be particuview of the same switch mechanismlooklarly suited for a type of switch mechanism mg upwardly from theplane 22 in Fig. whereinan automatically retractable detent 1;tlieinsulating base being removed.

is employed for controlling the circuit- Fig. 3, on an enlarged scale,shows elements 60 breaking movement of the contacts. I i correspondingto certain parts in Fig. 2

1 An example of this type of swltch mech-. with the movable switchcontact provided anisin is fully illustrated and described in with mynew quick-make meehanism'; the my co-pending application, Serial N0.428, parts appearing as in the full off position 100, filed December 3,1920wherein a therof the switch. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary side atii'iostatically-positioiicd detent automaticalview looking at the rightof Fig. 3. Fig. 5

1y operates to prevent circuit-breaking 210- shows the same parts"nearly at the end of tion ofthe switch a pre-determined intertheircircuit-making movement. Fig. 6 val of time after usual actuation of theconshows a dotted and full line'position of the trol agency toextinguish the light, and then same parts, the dotted lines representing70 causes a quick break of the circuit. It will the full on positioni ofthe switch, and

be seen from reference to my co-pending apthe full lines representingthe position of plication mentioned above, that the dos p r s p r t0 theautoma ic, ti ing of the contacts to make the circuit there mg action.Fig. 7 shows on a reducedxscale constitutes a relatively slow movementefthe samefparts as in Figs. 3, 5 and posi- "t5 fected through directactuation by the contioned asiper the dotted lines in Fig. it? with trolagency. It is a specific object 'of this a diagram of tliei i.'electrical connection.

improvement to eliminate the possibility of 1* 1g. 8 is a sim lardiagram of connections,

producing a slow or hesitating closing of w th parts positioned'as perfulhfhnes in the contacts and preferably through simple Fig (i.- Fig. 9shows a lllOCllfiCzttlOIi of the g0 modification of one of the contactmembers stationary contact with provision for adnot disturbing theoriginally designed co Justing the engagementbetween the movable actionof said contact and thethermostati Contact and its controlling detent. iig. 10

call positioned dctent in their circuit conshon fanother meansjforQdlusting this trollingmovement. 'gagiiicnt, and also. a d tferent ormof 55 A further accomplishment of the present spriiigfor effecting theuick make' moveimprovements is the provision of a rugged i llt; 1* g. llsliowsstill another modificaand practicable means for adjusting the i10n i;.\ l16l'8l 1i details of construction are amount of engagementbetween the above further varied. F rgiz. 12 shows ajclrosssecliitiitiOHOtl contact and detent so as to vary tioiiyon theplane t'd-12 in Fig. ll. Fig. 9 the time interval consumed intherniostati- 1?) shows a simple provision applicable to 40 call causvtlretraction of said detcnt to thei ormer designswitch actuatorwherepci'niit cscapcnicnt of said contact.- by at proper times thethermostat may be -l*o1- the ii -coiiiplishinents of the above properlyrcinforcedto insure correct relaand other objects, my invention consistsin rive action of the Jcontacts and detent. Fig.

the novel provisions 2' d constructions il- 14; is a fragmentarysectional/view taken lusti'uted as preferred embodinients of the ()iilhe pltll'le l rl' ti: in Fig. 13.

invention in the accompanying drawings "lhroughout tlie figures of thedrawings and hereinafter described di'ifi'erent views of the sameelement are In the drawings, Figg-l is an outline view designated by thesame reference character. ii elevation showing a certain form of elecinFig. 1 the iiiain socket stiaieti ire, which I Yric lamp pull socketwith casing cut away 'isAillustrative ofi any useful application of odisclose the interior "-Iswitch mechanism, it switch mechanism embodyingmy present [which is similar to that in my co-pending "tvention,consists of the usualpupper insumovements of cam 20,

,one end to bracket 24.

lating cap and insulating base 9, above the former of which are'carried.the screw shell 11 the insulating spacer block 12 and center contact 13;and below the latter of which, depends the threaded lamp receptacle 14and central contact tongue 15; this type of socket switch structurebeing of the nature of an attachment adapted to insert between thecommon form of lamp socket and'an ordinary electric lamp bulb (neitherof which are shown). A

As may be more fully understood from reference to my co-pendingapplication hereinbefore mentioned, the switch actuating agency includesthe two pull chains 16 and 17 which pass through the bell mouth. 18 foroscillating a segment structure 19 to which is rigidly fixed the contactcontrolling cam 20 which latter, together with segment 19, is pivotallymounted to oscillate one quarter turn in a horizontal plane about thepivot screw 21 and which is held in place on its pivotal mounting by adouble armed spring-washer 22 mounted on the terminus 23 of main bracketmember 24.

The swinging of cam 20 causes the springleaf contact 26 to fiex to andfrom a position for contacting with stationary contact 27, contact 26being automatically caught and held in contact with stationary contact27 by interception of the free end of thermo- Stat 28, which latter whenenergized by a resistance wire 29 wound thereon in insulating relation,moves the free end of said thermostat out of a position intercepting.the free end of contact 26. Thermostat 28 is composed of a laminatedstrip encircling the switch mechanism and securely riveted at Inpredetermined relation to the swinging an auxiliary contact member 31makes and breaks circuit in properly timed relation therewith for whichpurpose, contact 31 is faced with insulation 32 secured thereto by theconductive eyelet 33 for'purposes-of circuit control as later to beexplained; L

In Figs. 3, 4 and 5 the contact 26 is shown in modified form as 26 inaccordance with the principles of my present improvement. The formerlyintegral end oi. contact 26 is replaced by a movable contactshoe 34fixed at theend of a stem 35 which latter is slidable lengthwisein'bearings 36 36 carried by the leaf-spring 26'. A coiled spring 37surrounds the stem 35 pressing between lower bearing 36 and a pin 38,which latter limits the upward movement of stem 35, and causes spring 37to press contact shoe 34 against the end of thermostat 28. lVhen cam 20is swung clockwise in Figure 5, the contact shoe 34,

,riding in contact with thermostat 28, is depressed by the latteragainst the light tension in spring 37 sufiiciently to preventcontacting of shoe 34 with contact 27 until Said at which time it snapsto the position shown producing the desirable in Figure 6, thus in thecontacting of quick make action members 34 and 27.

In former types of this switch mechanism, contact between members 26 and27 can be broken only under control of the thermostat 28 as, forinstance, when the latter, through thermal energization by theresistance wire 29, is caused to flex to its dotted-line position inFig. 6 thus permitting shoe to be snapped away from contact with member27 by the resiliency in carrying member 26'. It will be seen that thepresent improvement makes it impossible through any manipulation of thepull chains 16 and 17 to cause other than a quick-break and also aquickmake of the circuit.

The operation ofthe vswitch as a whole with my, present improvementsembodied therein will be clear from reference to Figs. 7 and 8. In Fig.7, the parts have been moved to the full on position so that currentwill be continuously supplied to the lamp through the followingconductors: 11- 27-3435-2620-3331l4 to lamp indicated by L thencethrough 15, 13 and back to the line. In Fig. 8, cam 20 has beenretracted leaving contact 34 tensioned for escapement The current hereis through the following conductors (contact between cam 20 and eyelet33 having been broken) :1127'34- 35'-26'24-282914 to the lamp L henceback to the line through 15 and 13 as before. It is thus seen that inFig. 8, resistance wire 29 is thrown in series with the lamp whichthermally energizes the thermostat 28 which releases contact 34 andbreaks the circuit after a brief interval of delay. One use for thisprinciple of switch action is to prevent being left in darkness whenturning'o'utthe light, the delay interval being suflicient to permit acomfortable exit before the light goes out.

It isnoted that make switch mechanism illustrated in Fig. 2, thestationary contact 27 is formed as a thin leafspring for permitting itsnecessary yielding to accommodate clearance move nent ofcontact 26 whenthe latter is pushed out into latching engagment with thermostat 28 formaking the circuit. It is also to be noted from the curvature andrelation of contact 26 and thermostat 28 that the latter, in thisarrangement, is the member which in the old form of slowthe fromthermostat 28.

yields to perform the latching action. The

present improvement, however, contemplates 4 and 5) acting on thecontact 34 that the pressure of this spring of thermostat 28 is notsufliagainst the end an appreciable deflection of cient to cause thelatter, but etfectsthe latohing'engage;

by a change of its-setting ment of contact shoe 34 with the thermostat,through yielding (mainly or solely) of the contact shoe 34.

In Fig. 9, a modification isshown wherein stationary contact 27 (whichis not here required to be yielding for the reasons explained above) isformed as a rigid member 27 carrying at its contact making end anadjustable contact-making screw 39 which as mounted in member 2? andsecured by the lock nut 30) operates to determine the amount ofengagementbetween contact shoe 34 and the end ofthermostat. whilepermitting all of the other designed functions of the contact parts totake place as hereinbefore described.

Fig. 10 shows a modification, in which a Ieafspring 44-replaces coilspring 37 and wherein means for adjusting the engagement between contactshoe 34 and thermostat 28 are provided in the form of a set nut 45 andlock nut 46 carried on stem35, this form of spring being preferable formaintaining good electrical contact between stem and til? thespring-leaf carrying member :26 in cases where electrical conductancefrom one to another of these parts is required.

Fig. 1 1 shows a still further simplification embodying the principlesof this invention, wherein the stem 35 is replaced by a strip member 47guided in bearings formed by turning over tongues 48, 48 carried onspring-leaf carrying member 26", said member 47 in this case havingsubstantially the same form at its contact-making end as the old form ofspring-leaf contact 26 in Fig. 2 and being pressed upwardly toward thethermostat 28 by a thin leaf-spring secured in this case by the sameholding means or rivet.51 that secures member 26". A stop 52 can beprovided to limit upward movement of member 47.

I Figs 13 and l4"sh,ow "a re-enforcing provision for the thermostat inthe form of an upward projectionf tl secured to the inner face of thecurved thermostat '28 for engaging with a cam-like, curved strip 42carried on the operating, segment 19, which acts to re-enforce the freeend of the thermostat 28 against outward thrust ot spring 37, ex-' ceptwhen it is desired that this tlexure should take place to causeautomatic circult breaking action. Thus, in Fig. 13, where the cam andoperating segment 19 (whlch move in fixed relation) both occupy theirposition corresponding to full oli position of the switch, it is clearthat as soon as cam strip-42 starts to swing counter clockwise ,With theoperating segment 19 and'cam 20, it

will engage thermostat projection 41 (even though the latter be alreadysomewhat outvvardly displaced by the thrust of spring 37) and will forcethe latter into itsnormally innermost position where it will be retainedby continuation 03. the engagement-oi cam strip ,nfember 49,-

42 with projection 41 and until cam shoe 34 has escaped the end ofthermostat 28 which relieves the latter from the thrust of spring 37.

It- \v1ll be obvious that within the scope of my invention many suchdepartures may the foregoing specification but shallhe interpreted ascovering all equivalent arrangements and constructions that may fairlybe included within the spirit of. the invention defined.

What I claim is: 1. A quick-make and quick-break mechanism forthermostatically controlled switches embodying, in combination; arelatively stationary contactmember; a relatively movable contactmember; means tending to separatev said two members; a thermostaticallycontrolled latch movable to and from a position preventing theseparation of said two members, and'means acting on said movable memberco-operatively with said latch mem-, her to cause a quick snap actionthereof when the latter approaches said stationary member. v

2. A quick makeand-break switch mocha nism embodying, in combination; .1station ary contact; a movable contact, spring-impelled in relativelytransverse directions re-' spectively to make and to break the circuit;and a contact-controlling detent; the movements of said movable contactin each of its said directions being controlled by escapement thereoffrom said detent. 3. In a thermostatically controlled, quick-. make andquick-break switch mechanism in combination; a stationary contact; amovable contact mounted for movement in relatively transverse directionsrespectively to 'm ";e and to break circuit with said station contact;and a thermostatically posi bl) i Jill) tioned detent; the movements ofsaid movnormally stationed to ,depress the movable 1 vmember to atenslonedi'opposed position {gr quick circuit-making action producing athe latter. r a 1;

5. In an electric switch, the combiniati n of a OOIIt Q P me a s as 9 wdirection $9 mechanism make the circuit and movable in a relative- 1ytransverse path to break the circuit, and a detent arranged to restrainsaid contact at different times from each of its said lllOVGll'lOl'li'Swhile simultaneously permitting its other movement.

(5. In an electric switch embodying two contact members and athermostatic latch to ;control the separation thereof; meaiis car riedby one of said contacts and co-operating with said thern'iostalic latchto produce a snap movement ot'the last mentioned contact near theeud ofits movement toward the other contact. v

7. In an electric switch embodying an operating agency and tworelatively movable contacts adapted to be closed by one movement of saidagency and separated by a subsequent movementthereot; in combination;means automatically operative to delay the separating movement of saidcontacts responsive to control movement of the operating agency; andmeans automatically operative to produce a snap action of one of saidcontacts to close the circuit responsive to a subsequent actuation ofthe said control agency.

8. Automatic switch mechanism embody= ing in combination a stationarycontact; a movable contact made of two parts, the first part beingmounted for spring-caused move ment away from said stationary contactand the second part being mounted on said first part and spring-impelledin a direction to make contact with said stationary contact; springenergizing means; and a restraining detent for causing thequickseparation of said second part of the movable contact from saidstationary contact; and separate spring-energizing means and detentmechanism for causing the quick circuit-closing movement of said secondpart of the mov able contact member relative to said stationary contact.Y 9. In an electric switch a stationary con tact; a spring-leafcarrying-men'iber; and a relatively movable contact carried thereby;said member being mounted'to flex against its spring tension'in adirection to bring said movable contact adjacent said stationarycontact; a separate spring urging said re at ively movable contact to aposition for engagement with said stationary contact; and a commondetent; co-operatively arranged With said movable contact to cause botha quick separation of the latter from said stationary contact under theimpulse of said spring-leaf holding-member, and also to cause asnap-closing movement of said mov-- able contact with said stationarcontact under the impulse of said separatespring.

I an automatic contact-breaking switch, a quick-action contact-breakingembodying in combination; a thermostatically positioned detent and atea- 'making position.

sionable switch contact arranged to be locked thereby in circuit makingposition, said detent being relatively unyielding and said contacthaving tension means yieldingly to press it against said detent forcausing a snap escapement therefrom 11. In an automatic contact-breakingswitch a quick contact-breaking mechanism embodying in combination; athermostatically positioned .detent; a contact shoe mounted for travelin spring pressed contact with said detent, and adapted to escape saiddetent, for quick snap movement into its circuit making position.

12. In an electric switch the combination of a contact controllingdetent; a switch contact movable under spring impulse in tworespectively transverse paths relative to said detent; the escapement ofsaid contact from said detent in one of said paths causing a quick'breakof the circuit, and the escapement of said contact from said detent inthe other of said paths producing a quick make of the circuit.

13. A quick-make and quick-break switch mechanism; embodying, incombination; a movable contact; spring mechanism conuected thereto toactuate the same in two different directions; a control agent for movingsaid contact under the tension of said switch mechanism; and adetentoperating to restrain said contact against spring caused movementin both of said different directions thereby to cause a snap action ofsaid contact respectively to break and to make the circuit.

'14:. In an electric switch embodying circuit governing contactsnormally tensioned to separate; an actuating member adapted to closesaid contacts; a thermostatic latch arranged to effect the automaticopening of said contacts when said actuating member is withdrawn; andmechanism acting on one of I said contacts to produce a snap actionthereof While said two contacts are being closed by said member.

into circuit- 15. In an electric switch, a pair of contact members,switching mechanism tending by successive movements to move one of saidcontact members with a snap action both into circuit-making andcircuit-breaking positions respectively, a slow acting control deviceinterposing a detent to intercept the circuit-breaking movement of saidmember thereby to delay for, a Substantial interval of time the movementof said Contact member to its circuit-breaking position, and anadjustable device co-operating with one of said contact members to varythe extent of detent surface that must be traversed. by said contactmember to efiect escapement of the latter, thereby to vary the time.

16. In an e eotric switch, a rotatable switching member tending bycontact members,

successive movements to move one of the ,contact members relatively intocircuit-making and circuit-breaking positions, a slow acting controldevice interposmg a detent to by successive movements to move thecontact member into circuit-making and circuitbreaking positions, and aslow acting control device to delay for a substantial interval of timethe movement of said contact member to a circuit-breaking position, saidswitch including an adjustable part acting on said contact member forvarying the time interval.

18. An electric switch having an operating agency and two relativelymovable contacts one of which is adapted to be moved by successivemovements of said operating agencyrespectively into circuit-making andcircuit-breaking positions, means automatically operative to delay thecircuit-breaking movement'of said contact responsive to the controlmovement of the operating agency, and means automatically operative whensaid controlling agency is subsequently moved to cause quickcircuit-making movement of said contact.

19. An electric switch having a movable contact, a switch controllingmember arranged positively to impel said contact toward circuit-closingposition, a thermostatic detent adapted automatically to release saidcontact and permit its movement to circuitbreaking position, and meansautomatically to cause said contact to snap into its closed circuitposition while being positively 1mpelled toward said position by saidswitch controlling member,

20. Invan electric switch, the combination with a contact, of a switchcontrolling member adaptedthrough successive movements to initiaterespective circuit-breaking and circuit-making movements of saidcontact, a thermostatic detent acting automatically to delay the.completion of one of said movements until after the lapse of a timeinterval, and means automatically to complete the'other movement with aquick snap action while said contact is being impelled by said member.

Signed at Boston, in the county of Sutfolk and setts, this 17th day ofFebruary, 1921;

RAYMOND 1). SMITH.

Commonwealth of Massachu--

